Portal:Spaceflight/Selected article/Week 43 2008

The Voskhod programme (Восход, translated as "dawn", "ascent") was a Soviet human spaceflight project. Voskhod development was both a follow-on to the Vostok programme, and a recycling of components left over from that programme's cancellation following its first six flights. The two missions flown used the Voskhod spacecraft and rocket.

The Voskhod flights were, in retrospect, merely aimed at making Soviet "firsts" in space exploration. The Voskhod spacecraft was basically a Vostok spacecraft, with several modifications; the ejection seat was removed and two or three crew couches were added to the interior. In the case of Voskhod 2, an inflatable exterior airlock was also added to the descent module opposite the entry hatch. Achieving the first EVA ("spacewalk") became the main success of the programme. The other objective of the programme was to put the first multi-person crew into orbit. Once both goals were realised, the programme was abandoned in favour of the Soyuz programme. (more...)